Steampunk Shennanigans
by XxxCreativethoughtxxX
Summary: A couple who seem to be enjoying the day soon turn it into a violent adventure as they scour the land!


The day began with such promise, the skies were blue and the clouds hung below like a sea of white and the birds like flying fish. The air was cold as it flew through the hair of the pirates as they observed the skies for victims. Captain N'sarr smiled as he stood at the helm with a grin, his crew running about on deck preparing the engines for attack speed, all their senses tense for the Captain's word. N'sarr barred the helm and extended his telescope, scanning the skies yet naught came up but the clouds as they rolled lazily across the horizon.  
"Naught anything in a fortnight.."  
With a heavy sigh he clipped the telescope to his belt and walked the helm shaking his head. The last fight he'd been in had set his blood aflame, the thrill of the fight catching him like an intense dance, he'd gotten so caught up in it that he'd severed the man's left hand without realizing it and kicked him off the portside as he laughed and watched him fall. He couldn't explain it, but fighting always seemed to bring a smile to his face without fail.  
"Sir!"  
Snapping back from his thoughts, N'sarr smiled and leaned on the railing overlooking the deck. His crew scurried about as they pulled ropes and the engines shot to life, with a jerk the ship pulled forward at full speed. N'sarr's words were caught in his throat as another ship pulled about in front of them and then beneath the clouds. He rushed to the helm and pulled hard astern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the enemy ship as his own dipped and caught the clouds on the deck. With a sickening crunch a cannonball smashed through his starboard side and through the deck, sending a group of his crew into the air and over the side. N'sarr couldn't beleive his eyes as the enemy ship pulled around again and struck with a second attack, tearing a hole in his hull.  
"Fire, you damned idiots!"  
With a will, the crew grabbed the cannons and aimed as they followed the ship with their eyes and fired. The cannonballs flew through the air and struck, but then fell through into empty air. A collapsible decoy fell through the air as the ship attacked a third time and fired a heavy shot through the bow, tearing it apart as the ship's planks burned and sent heavy smoke through the ship. All aboard were blinded by the smoke as they choked and sought fresh air.  
"Fight me, coward!"  
N'sarr screamed, hoping to rile the other Captain. He was surprised as a grappling hook caught on his starboard side and pulled taught, something falling through the air in a black blur as it fell onto the deck and vanished into the smoke. Two gunshots rang out and then the sound of metal upon metal as blades sang through the darkness.  
"You bastard, I'll kill you myself!"  
Drawing his blade, N'sarr jumped the helm and onto the deck blindly through the smoke and swung as he hoped to strike the invader. There were bodies everywhere, making it difficult for him to keep his balance but still he charged through. Something whistled by his ear, causing his body to swing as he caught blades. With a smile he swung again and connected once more, though the next second he felt flesh slam into his nose as he stumbled back. His foot was pulled as he fell on deck, but with a quick kick caught the bastard and sent him back as he flipped to his feet and pushed his attack forward, catching the other man's blade three times. The smoke began to clear, giving N'sarr a more clear view of his opponent. He saw long hair- Suddenly, his ship was struck again, N'sarr felt his legs give as he fell to the deck again and slid across as his ship began to tilt.  
"Right her, you idiots!"  
N'sarr slammed into the deck railing as the ship fully tilted and bodies began to pile upon him as he was quickly buried. With a growl he kicked them off and stood up, looking up to see the underside of his attacker as they worked their way up his ratlines toward the blimp.  
"NO!"  
A bronze pistol was drawn and aimed at the blimp and N'sarr's heart sank as the blimp exploded and the ship began to go down by the bow. The enemy leaped from the ratline and into the clouds as N'sarr's eyes filled with wonder and horror, with difficulty he fought his way to the helm and used the rails as a ladder as he grabbed onto the wheel and pushed it upward hoping to straighten the ship but nothing happened. With a grimace he climbed beyond the wheel and clung as the ship began to spin faster and faster as the ground came as a green blur. With a sickening crunch the ship's hull smashed into the ground and sent the ship into a flip as it tore itself apart and the engines exploded, N'sarr held tightly to the wood as his body was jolted around violently and his ship burst into flame upside down, trapping him underneath.  
Above, another airship hung as the Captain smiled and looked down to the ruined ship as it burned itself into the ground. He wore a boater with a speaker on the side and a metal flower pinned to the back, his black hair was as dark as the night sky and his blue eyes as bright as the sky itself. He wore a long black coat that went down to his boots and a vest decorated with gears, His hands were covered by leather gloves with steel finger armor. Beside him stood his beautiful first mate, Robin. She had raven black hair and hazel eyes like an emerald. Her hair extended to her shoulders to frame her face and her blouse was ripped down the arms were slender but defined hidden muscle with decorative tattoos down her left arm of an anchor and lace design around her wrist. Her slacks were striped down and she wore leather boots.  
"That was brilliant, Robin."  
Robin smiled, leaning on the helm rail as she gazed out to the horizon. Of all the sights the sky had to be her favorite, Robin was the adventurous type so she could never stay in one place too long before leaping into action, whether that meant against someone was up to her. Her specialty was explosives-more specifically with bombs. He remembered when they'd been in trouble and Robin had pulled out a stick of dynamite, there had been no other time that his eyes had lit up in panic and awe as she smiled deviantly at him and stuck it up the enemy Captain's ass before they'd swung away.  
"Mark."  
Robin's voice snapped him out of his daydream, to cover he held the wheel and drifted lazily to the port side. Robin wasn't one to be fooled though and she slowly moved closer with a wide grin.  
"Lost in your thoughts again?"  
Mark smiled and glanced at her, seeing if she was smiling. Sure enough she was and that caused him to grin as he tried to suppress it.  
"One."  
He could see the intrigue in her eyes now as they lit up and she shook her head slowly, parting her hair but kept her eyes bow.  
"What of?"  
She was teasing him, he could always tell by the way she smiled and gave him an upward glance. Even if he wasn't looking at her he'd sneak side peeks at her just to see what she was doing.  
"Persuade me."  
The sound of scraping metal sang to his ears as he drew his own and crossed blades with Robin, her smile was cocky as she gazed into his eyes. Mark almost couldn't resist her as he pushed his blade harder into hers and came nose to nose with her.  
"Is this your way of enticing me?"  
Robin chuckled softly, giving him a seductive look as she shoved him and sent him back onto the deck holding her blade at his throat.  
"Maybe, But I'd rather see you squirm first."  
Mark laughed and rolled away as she thrust her sword into the wood and knocked her down, catching her sword as he held it at her heart.  
"You were saying?"  
She didn't say anything, but rather winked at him. Mark looked to the hilt of her blade and yelled out as he threw it to the sky, the blade exploded in a thousand shards and flew at him like birds as the pieces of hot metal struck the deck, pinning him by the toes of his boots. Mark yelled out again and managed to knock aside a couple pieces, two ripping across his cheek as Robin got up and wrapped her arms around his stomach as she rolled back and kicked him, sending him against the railing as she took his blade and threw it down. Mark held his hands out, grabbing at her as she lunged and caught her around the sides but Robin smiled and went under him, pulling his feet as she went as he hit the deck hard and lost his hat. Mark shook himself, then rolled to his feet and tackled her to the deck, smiling down at her as they rolled toward the stairs. Robin laughed and threw them sideways, using Mark's back as a sled as they flew down the stairs. The ship groaned and began rolling on her own. Mark got to his feet and threw Robin aside as he jumped up and grabbed the railing to the helm, but Robin grabbed his pants and pulled him down hard as his jaw slammed into the wood. Dazed he shook himself as they began to slide sideways, the engines humming loudly with the stress they received. Again, Mark grabbed robin around the sides and used her back as a cushion as they slammed into the rail, then he ran up the stairs and pulled hard to starboard watching as she slid across the deck. Mark laughed and pulled hard port-side, watching as she continued to slide. A sudden explosion rocked the ship as the Port-side engine exploded into a ball of flame and sent hot metal everywhere, catching the deck on fire that separated Robin from the helm. Mark barred the helm and jumped over the railing to the flames below and rushed through them, his jacket getting burned as he removed it and searched the heat for Robin.  
"Robin!"  
"Mark!"  
"Where are you!?"  
"Ratlines!"  
Mark tried to peer through the flame, the heat distorting his vision and drying his eyes as he gathered glimpses of Robin climbing the ratline toward the sails as she safely swung to the stern. He smiled as he protected his face. The ship groaned as she went tilting forward with a spin on the busted engine's side, the deck around him getting weaker as the flames ate further back. Mark ran to the ratlines and cut one of the lines, swinging across as the sail was pulled up and he landed safely on the stern. Robin smiled and hugged him tightly as the deck creaked and the flaming boards fell inside and began burning the cargo hold. Mark peered over the side, seeing as the ground wasn't far and they were picking up speed. The Port-side engine exploded from the harsh air flow and burned the planks on the side of the hull, creating thick smoke as they plummeted faster in a spin.  
"We've lost the ship, darling."  
Mark said, smiling at Robin as she looked up at him with concern and curiosity. Mark tied the rope around Robin's waist, giving his hat a precise stomp and leaped off the railing as he grabbed onto a flaming rope and climbed up to the mainsail, tying the other side to himself as he cut the fabric and fell hard to the deck and went through it to the underside. He tied the ends together and then took the rope from himself and tied it to the makeshift parachute as he let it go. The hot air caused the parachute to rise quickly as Mark watched Robin fly upward to safety as the deck around him burned and creaked. Sharp snapping surrounded him as the deck separated from the helm and fell through empty air toward the ground. The stern hung as if it were light as a feather as the burning bow plummeted toward the ground. Mark was lifted by the rushing air as he hung in the air and watched as the bow slammed into the ground and sent a fireball up toward him, burning his clothes and hair as he slammed into the burning sails and into the ground. Seconds later, the stern slammed down into the flaming ashes of the bow and crumbled, starting a new fire in a burning pile of rubble.  
High above, Robin floated with a horrified look to the ruin that laid below of their ship. She looked for a way to fall faster and pulled her knife from her pants and threw it at the parachute, cutting it through the middle as it went up and came back down. She caught it by the hilt and put it away as she began to fall through the air toward the ground and braced for impact. Her feet hit first, roughly, and she rolled forward until stopping breathlessly on her back. Quickly she got to her feet and rushed to the crash site, the heat wasn't as intense but it still slowed her down as she kicked aside the ashes and began searching them.  
"Mark!? Mark!? Can you hear me!?"  
She hoped he was alive as she kicked aside more and more of the ashes, making her way toward the hull. Standing before her was a wall of smoldering wood, collapsing slowly on itself. Robin turned her head and took a breath, then rushed forward into it as the shell collapsed onto her. With a pained yell she moved forward and waded her way through the debris until her foot struck something and she reached down, grabbing something crisp and pulling it up. Her clothes were burning slowly, smoldering at the points of heat as she waded out of the heap and threw Mark's body onto the grass as she rolled herself out. Mark was badly burned all over his body and his clothes were frayed from the heat, Robin smiled at the sight of him and began putting the small fires out as she checked his vitals, he still had a pulse but he was badly injured. Slowly, Mark reached out and took Robin's hand in his own as he smiled weakly at her.  
"Did we make it?"  
Robin laughed softly and squeezed his hand, kissing it gently as he gazed into her eyes. With a soft chuckle he brought her hand down to his lips and kissed them in return.  
"You're insane."  
She said playfully. Mark laughed and squeezed her hand again, wanting to let her know how much he adored her,then slowly with a pained grimace put the hat's brim onto his forehead.  
"You're adorable."  
Robin playfully punched him in the shoulder and looked to the sky, the day had gone by so quickly and nightfall was almost upon them. The sun slowly slid across the sky as it changed colors and began turning to a sulky lavender mixing into blue mountains. They would have to brave the night, and at least she was still armed. The night air came softly, the heat from the wreck still provided warmth as it burned into the night.

Part II

The night came quietly,casting itself onto the land like a blanket as the stars appeared one by one and the full moon laid overhead, casting her soft light unto the plains to guide travelers. Robin smiled and gazed up at it all, longing to be in the sky once more. Right now she felt like she could touch the moon if she were up there or perhaps grab a star and pull it down with her but she knew this was only wishful thinking, still she wished it were possible. Mark was still healing, lying his head in her lap as she stroked his head gently. Looking down she wasn't surprised that he was watching her.  
"Aren't you tired, dear?"  
Mark smiled and chuckled softly, his features slightly covered by the soot the flames had created, making him darker.  
"No, I would rather watch you."  
She smiled and stroked his cheek as he reached up and touched hers. Robin kissed his hand and then caressed it in a tight hug.  
"You're too sweet for your own good."  
"Maybe, but I'll still give my entire life to watch over you."  
Robin shook her head, nothing would ever kill this man or his love for her. The two had been through a lot together in the 7 years they'd been together. Nothing this bad had ever happened before and despite everything she still wished for him to be alright. On the horizon she could see the flaming debris of the other Captain's ship and she couldn't help but smile. Some part of her thought he might come after them, though. But after seeing the ship come down on him like that there was no possible way it could ever be conveyable. She was worrying herself over nothing and shook her head, tomorrow would come soon and they would find some way out of this miss.  
"Are you getting tired?"  
Mark asked, Robin had to realize he was still watching her and smiled softly down at him, stroking his cheek.  
"Kind of, though you should probably be sleeping now, dear."  
Mark smiled at that and kissed her hand as it passed by his lips. Slowly she could see his eyes closing more sluggishly and eventually they drifted shut and didn't open. Robin smiled and kissed his forehead, feeling the heat radiating from him. She picked him up carefully and carried him to the wreck to ensure he wouldn't freeze to death in the night air, staying close to it herself. An idea struck her mind suddenly, perhaps if someone saw the flaming wreckage of their ship they would be able to help them, though they were in enemy territory; the Rogue Pirates always fought for the land, even though it belonged to the people. Shrugging she put her mind at ease and cuddled beside Mark, putting his arms around her as she slowly drifted to sleep from his warmth and put his hand over her heart.  
Morning came softly, the crisp air prompting Robin awake with a start. For moments she was sent into a panic, then relaxed knowing Mark's hand was still around her as she cuddled it gently and sat up. Mark was doing fine and his skin was starting to blister. Robin smiled and gently placed a kiss on Mark's lips, he woke with a start but smiled at the sight of her and sat up as well, effortlessly fitting his hat to his head as he stood up, then fell to his knees. Robin laughed softly and helped him up, having him put an arm around her shoulders as they walked through the endless fields toward the mountains. The hills seemed endless as they walked, something laid below in the valley prompting hope and relief from them. As they approached it became bigger and they began to walk faster toward it until they were at a run, and stopped short. The small seeming camp was an entire village of people, they wore rags and decorated themselves in ship parts.  
"You think this is a good idea?"  
Robin grimaced, she was open to suggestions, and these people didn't seem like they were hostile.  
"For the moment."  
Mark laughed softly as the two trudged into the village, immediately stopped by one of the ragged people.  
"Halt, you."  
The woman's voice was raspy, almost inhuman as she crouched and held a hand to Robin. Mark could feel her body tense up as she reached for the dynamite pack strapped to her lower back. The other woman didn't seem to notice and examined the two, circling them as she stopped and poked Robin, seeing if she was armed or not. Robin remained calm and held her breath until the woman stopped in front of them once more.  
"What business do you have here, outsider?"  
"My husband is injured, do you have anything that might help him?"  
"What is his ailment?"  
"Severe burns"  
With a wicked smile the goggled woman stepped closer to Mark, prodding the burned skin around his face and ripping the dead skin from it. In one slow movement she managed to pull the dead layer from his nose, then his face and ears all the way down to his neck. The skin underneath was new and pink, incredibly sensitive to everything. She did this for every part of him she could reach and rolled the dead skin away in her ragged pockets.  
"His skin will return to its normal pigment soon enough, dearie. Is this all you require?"  
Robin hesitated, though she felt much better about Mark's condition.  
"If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to be pointed in the direction of a city."  
"The city.."  
With a wheezing breath the woman coughed and laughed as she hunched over and straightened back out to gaze into Robin's eyes.  
"My grandmother was the last one to ever see the city.. that was over 100 years ago. But if you're that desperate, it's just over the ridge."  
"Thank you."  
Robin began away from the woman, but was smacked in the shins by a cane, with surprise she stopped and stared at the woman who had a fire burning behind her goggles.  
"You can't pass through the village!"  
"Why not?"  
The woman raised the cane like a sword and held it at Robin's throat as she backed up toward the village line.  
"Outsiders!"  
As soon as they were out of the village the woman stopped, lowering her cane neurotically as she seemed to slouch and the fire vanished. Again, she neurotically moved back to normal and began toward the center of the village to her previous endeavors. Robin was confused by this and searched the surroundings, the Village seemed to be square, the tents along a boarder that nothing crossed over, not even the fences for the wildlife. The two started around the village, making it halfway through by Noon and all the while the villagers ignored them like they were invisible, nonexistent to the rest of the world. Alongside the village ran a river, noisy but clear with fish teeming in it. Robin stopped and knelt down, cupping her hands together as she took a drink and gasped. This water was more pure than any other she'd ever tasted and soon she began drinking more of it until her stomach growled. Carefully, she brought Mark over and had him drink from it, he too went through the same thing she did and finally stopped when his stomach rumbled. The two smiled and continued their journey through the village limits until they reached the corner. Beyond the village laid another valley, this one full of trees that bared fruit until the mountains stemmed from them. Through the day they trudged on, passing the trees and collecting fruit carefully, hoping the villagers wouldn't come after them if they did. By the night they reached the base of the mountains and set up a camp, collecting broken tree limbs and rubbing them together to create fire. Smiling she cuddled next to Mark again and drifted to sleep once more.  
When she awoke, there was a thick mist surrounding them mixed with smoke from the long burned fire. The cold air nipped at her nose and chest as she sat up and examined her surroundings, they were alone but the village was nowhere in sight.  
"Mark, wake up."  
With a soft moan he awoke and rubbed his eyes, rolling onto his back so he could stare up at her with a smile as she stood on her feet. Mark got to his and the two began to hike up the mountain base, starting their vertical ascension as they searched for footholds and hand-holds. The higher they went, the more they could see but never dared to look down. Halfway through the day they rested atop a cliff and laid down staring at the sky, the clouds passed slowly by and seemed to caress the mountains with their softness. From here they could see over the entire plain and yet there still remained no village. This perplexed Robin as she scratched her chin and thought on it, until Mark wrapped his arms around her and snapped her out of it.  
"You alright?"  
He asked.  
"Yeah, just thinking."  
"About?"  
Robin paused, thinking maybe she would be able to see the village if she looked hard enough and yet nothing ever presented itself.  
"That village, it's gone."  
"Hm? I hadn't thought of that place, just seemed like a bump in the road."  
She laughed softly at that, then turned away from the view and smiled at him as she got to her feet and walked to the stone wall.  
"Maybe you're right, nothing to get caught up on."  
Mark smiled back at her, helping as she got the first handhold and hoisted herself up. Carefully, he followed her and they climbed higher and higher up the mountain. A few miles up they found another ledge, followed by a stone pass. The pass seemed to have been eroded into the mountainside and led across a chasm of endless darkness. On the other side it continued between and stretched on for miles.  
"Another adventure, eh?"  
Mark joked, trying to prompt a smile from Robin. Robin was too far lost in her thoughts to have heard it, then snapped back and turned to mark, giving him a smile as they began the journey. The path was stable enough, no loose debris or faltering lines and as they approached the chasm she started to feel better, like there might not be any danger at all. The eroded path stopped between the two mountains and became thin, it was more of a rope path than a bridge but at least it was a way across. The rock was big enough to wrap a hand around and it seemed they would have to shimmy their way across it.  
"I'll go first, dear."  
Mark said, carefully edging by Robin as he got on his knees and held onto the rock. He held on with both hands and allowed his body to slide off the ledge as he dangled on the abyss and swung his legs up, then began to scoot himself across. Robin nodded and watched him, then did the same as she followed quickly. Mark got to the other side and carefully let go with his arms, dangling upside down by his legs as he grabbed the ledge and held onto it. Letting go with his legs he allowed his body to slam into the rock and hauled himself up onto the path. Robin swung herself up and crawled her way onto the rock from her stomach, smiling accomplished as she did so. The two continued to walk the path, as endless as it was and saw naught but more rock side. Nightfall was once again upon them, but this time it brought no stars or a moon. Utter darkness surrounded them. Robin curled up next to the rock side, putting her back against it as Mark laid in front of her, she used his warmth as he smiled and kissed her hand. Eventually she was able to sleep, but Mark wasn't- he was keeping an eye out for anything that might try to come out of the darkness and harm them. The sounds of the mountains was eerie, ever few seconds a rock slid down the sides and reverberated its sound several times before going silent again. There was even a strange wind that blew across the sides, it chilled Mark down to the bone but he knew Robin was warm. Several times he thought he'd seen the whites of some creature's eyes, but tried convincing himself he was merely seeing things. After hours of scanning the horizon he felt his eyes get heavier, but shook his head and forced himself awake.

Part III

Night once again surrounded him, the rocks still reverberating through the utter darkness. Something howled in the distance, its cry was lonely and seemed mournful as it rang through the mountain passes. Mark took a breath, then listened to Robin breathe softly and smiled, kissing the top of her head. The skies were soon becoming a light shade of violet with blue undertones, the sun ready to arrive as the clouds began to dissipate. A smile broke across Mark's face as he examined the twilight sky. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat, a grey creature slipping away between two rocks and out of sight. Fear still gripped at his heart, his heart beating against his ribs as he breathed shallowly and swallowed hard. Had this thing been watching them the entire time? Rumbling overhead snapped Mark out of his thoughts as he looked to the sky and saw two ships, one massive like a bulwark and the other slender like a panther. Flashes of light shone through the morning skies, the rumbling of cannons tearing through the skies as the ships above shook, one ripping pieces out of the other. The falling planks fell like little black dots to the earth as one of the ships fired into the starboard of the other, ripping the engine off as it shot flame and fell just out of the distance. The affected ship began to tilt, the other engine trying to keep the ship up as it groaned under the weight, the ship moaning as the sound echoed through the sky. Unrelenting the attacking ship fired several more shots into the hull of the crippled ship, then ropes wrapped like the tentacles of a Ferrell beast around the railing as several figures boarded the crippled ship and after several minutes an explosion rang out like a gunshot and the other engine caught fire, billowing thick black smoke as it began to fall, the figures returning to their ship as the other fell out of the sky. The crippled panther fell toward the mountains, small white parachutes fluttering across the sky like the petals of a daisy as the ship struck the base of a mountain and crumbled upon itself, the bow slamming into it as the rest of the ship fell in on itself and created nothing but a pile of rubble. Mark watched as the bulwark pulled around and flew out of sight, the prey defeated as morning appeared and filled the valley with stirred softly, a quiet moan escaping her lips as she rolled and smiled up at Mark. Slowly she reached up and stroked his cheek as the sun lit up her beautiful face.  
"Well, good morning handsome."  
Mark laughed and pushed the hair from Robin's face, her hair soft as he smiled down at her. He never accepted a compliment unless she received one. Robin sat up against the stone wall and gave him a gentle hug.  
"How did you sleep, beautiful?"  
Robin blushed slightly, looking out to the horizon, her eyes slowly coming back to his eyes as she smiled into them.  
"Pretty well, you ready to get moving?"  
"Aye."  
Mark got to his feet, taking Robin's hand as he helped her up and the two began to walk once more through the endless passes and came to a dead end, below them laid a massive city. The city laid behind golden walls, beyond that skyscrapers kissed the sky as the people below bustled about in their best. Airships were tied around the city like balloons, but none of them bore the pirate flag, though they all seemed to resemble pirate vessels in one way or another. Mighty escort ships that stretched from one wall to the next were docked away from what Mark assumed were the commoners, the vessel was made entirely of copper and bore three massive jet engines painted white. The sails were tainted silver, the ropes aluminum to match the masts. The helm was an entire room, one way windows lined it for the perfect view. It seemed to put all the other ships to shame, but surely it would be a target. Wouldn't it?  
"What do you think?"  
"Hm?"  
Robin asked, trying to see further into the city as she gazed upon him once more. Curiosity was upon her face with a smile.  
"The luxury vessel, don't you think it would be a target?"  
She looked away from him, examining the ship for herself, thoughtfully looking over ever part until she looked back at him.  
"Unless someone important has come, but there's nobody like that in this area."  
Mark chuckled softly, then stepped forward to gaze over the ledge. Below the rock dropped straight down to the valley below, no leniency in sight. He sighed, then looked to his surroundings for something that might help. Two branches laid across a slim path off to the right, they seemed fresh but there were traces of rot and fungi about them that seemed dangerous. Robin watched on as he grabbed the branches and laid them side by side, so far, so good. Though nothing was around to help, leaving them stranded on top of the mountain. Mark sighed, then removed his jacket and tied the sleeves across the branches tightly, leaving the back limp. Robin saw where he was going and removed hers as well, tying it to the back of his and around such as the smiled and kissed her cheek, then took a breath and sat on his jacket. The branches dipped slightly but still had tension. Getting up slowly he turned to Robin once more, concern across his face as he took her hand.  
"You know, we might not survive this."  
Robin smiled, giving him a daring look sliced with a smirk as she stared into his eyes and tilted her head slightly.  
"Is Mr. Bonneux afraid?"  
Mark laughed and shifted his weight to the his right leg as he returned her smirk and scrunched up his nose.  
"Is the missus afraid? You said 'till death'"  
She stepped closer, her small nose almost touching his large one as her smile broadened. Mark's lips quivered slightly as he tried to hide it from her.  
"It was a wonderful life, and there'll be more adventures after we leave this world."  
Mark laughed and kissed her forehead, Robin shook her head and kissed him passionately. Mark returned the kiss by wrapping his arms around her and as they parted grabbed opposite ends of the branches and held it above their heads. With a breath they examined the horizon and stepped back to the stone wall, then rushed forward and jumped from the ledge into open air. The feeling caused a rise in their stomachs, the empty air cold as their adrenaline pumped and kept them white knuckled as they plummeted downward toward the ground but at least they were gliding. The grass below was coming fast and the two let go, the air whipping by their ears as they fell and hit the ground hard and rolled to safety. The glider fell 100 feet away and broke in half, tearing the jackets in half. With a smile, they got up and dusted the dirt and mud off of themselves. Together they walked across the valley to the towering golden walls to a small door guarded by two men dressed in fancy robes, their faces covered by bird skulls. Not one part of their actual skin was two guards turned to the couple, not saying a word. Mark stepped forward, offering his hand in introduction, only to be met with a slap from the right guards' backhand that sent him stumbling backward.  
"Oi, you son of a-!"  
The guard drew a copper pistol, aiming it directly between Mark's eyes as he rose to his feet slowly, his arms out in surrender. The guard remained silent, pistol still aimed.  
"How do we get in?"  
The guard still said nothing, pulling the pistol's hammer back with a loud click. Robin stood in front of Mark, but he put her aside and stood in front of the man. With a rasp, the guard took a deep breath, then spoke with a voice that sounded like it came from the back of a cave.  
"Pirates.."  
Mark's eyes went wide as the guard pulled the trigger, the gun blast flashed and burned him as Robin pushed him aside. The two laid in the grass and jumped to their feet, Robin taking the left guard as Mark took the right. The men went down hard, their helmets hitting the ground as they rolled aside to reveal faces that barely held skin and eyes so sunken in they seemed to roll around in the socket. Mark was so taken back that he froze, the guard smiled with a row of blackened teeth as he swung and struck him across the face, sending Mark into the grass on his back as the guard leaped onto him and began to squeeze his neck. Robin had taken the sight a little better and kicked the man's face several times until dark red blood dripped across his sunken face. The guard wheezed, grabbing her around the neck as he swung her into the ground and sat on top of her stomach, smiling as he choked her. Robin gagged, managing to get enough spit to hawk one in the guards' eye as he stumbled backward and groped his socket. Smiling she took the opportunity and tackled him, punching his face several times as the sound of his bones breaking popped. The guard groaned as blood soaked his face and he laid limply on the ground. With s smile, she stood up and clapped her hands together in victory. The guard began to wheeze, then yelled out in horrible pain as his body began to recede, his skin was pulled tightly, almost giving him a youthful look. That was until the skin from his hands and feet ripped and began to recede into his chest, with his muscles exposed he screamed louder as he writhed in pain as that too was pulled into his chest. As the man's organs laid against his skeleton she watched as his jaw flapped open and closed until they too were pulled into his heart. With the heart the only thing left it swelled to ten times its normal size and exploded, but the explosion was naught but dust.  
"What the..?"  
Robin turned to see Mark still wrestling with the other guard, she took the abandoned pistol and cocked it once more as she heard the bullet fall into the chamber. With a squeeze she pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting the guard in the back of the head. The guard gasped, then groaned softly as blood dripped from the back of his skull. This time he screamed as the skin was pulled tight and ripped into the back of his skull, along with his muscles and organs until only his brain remained. The brain swelled like the heart and then exploded in a cloud of dust as well. Mark rubbed his eyes and stood beside Robin as they examined the place the two had stood before them. There was a shriek beside them, and with the whip of their heads they watched as the door began to shrink. Quickly they rushed for it and pulled the door open with a hard swing, Mark pushed Robin in as the door became half of his size and he dropped to his knees and jumped through.

Part IV

As the door shrank it became a solid piece of wall, Mark and Robin smiled and laughed softly, breathing heavily as they got to their feet. The city was endless, deep alleyways and back-roads laid every direction though one street always stayed consistent and seemed to wrap around the buildings. Not a soul was out, making the two slightly nervous as they slunk along and stood upon the golden road. With a jolt the road sprung to life and knocked the two down. They tried to apply themselves as the road shot them through the town and then the air into a sea of people. In unison they all turned to look at the two intruders, who brushed themselves off and played casual. The people still remained staring long after the two had run out of things to fiddle with, causing great awkwardness as they backed away slowly only to bump into a couple just like them.  
With a start, they yelled out and covered their mouths. The couple did the same, though they were reversed. Curiously, Mark approached the male stranger, his features too feminine to hide in a crowd of men. Upon closer investigation he realized it was Robin, but her gender and clothes had been switched. Taken aback by this he backed up but was caught on a subtle change he hadn't noticed before, now her eyes were the light blue of his.  
"Mark?"  
Turning to Robin he saw she'd noticed the same thing and even reached out to touch the stranger, who mirrored her move until they touched hands.  
Mark could see the curiosity in her and watched as she continued to test the reflection, trying to actually touch it, but each time their hands met and she began to get frustrated. Mark tried to touch his mirror self's shoulder, but their fingertips met and they both gave the same curious look as he dropped his arm. He could see Robin doing the same, though she was trying to touch her reflection's face and their fingers touched, too. She sighed and turned to Mark again, who smiled supportively.  
"Don't worry, the concept is still there and hey you never know. We might find these reflections."  
Robin smiled and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. As the real couple touched, so did the other but their faces were full of terror and as they did turned black and became more aggressive. Mark gazed into Robin's eyes still smiling and leaned forward slowly just barely hovering over her lips, until a blood curdling scream echoed through the city and drew the couple back as they watched the reflections throw themselves forward, cracks appearing in the empty space as the invisible wall began to shatter and their screams became louder.  
"We've gotta go!"  
Mark yelled, taking Robin's hand as they bolted through the city. The people all remained lifeless and only turned to look as the two barreled through them, getting as far away from the rumbling as they could and hid behind a golden garbage can, Mark crouched over Robin to protect her no matter what happened. The rumbling became louder, shaking the ground violently as they two reflections slammed their bodies into the wall and with a loud crash the glass gave way and they fell to the ground. From the sound of it, the people were still dead and the reflections became one, shooting to the sky as they became a massive black monster and began to eat the citizens. Carefully, Mark peeked up and watched. The creature was as tall as the high walls of the city and had massive blood-filled eyes with a massive mouth housing crooked fangs. As it feasted it became more human and started growing limbs until every last person was eaten, yet none of them screamed. Alone, the massive beast began to walk, its footsteps heavy as it shook the ground and rattled the garbage cans. With the third it knocked the one the couple were hiding behind over.  
The beast turned to see what the noise was, seeing a blur from Mark's foot as they bolted through the city trying to get as far away as possible.  
With a sickly laugh the beast followed, easily able to out-step the two as they reached the end and bolted down the next way, toward the door. The beast laughed again and grabbed a nearby garbage can, throwing it with blinding speed into the wall seconds before the two had a chance to react. With them stopped, it shot dark wisps at them, each slamming heavily into the wall and denting it. Mark turned worriedly to Robin, seeing a wisp coming quickly and pushed her out of the way, barely able to get out of the way before the wisp slammed into the wall inches away from his foot. Robin urged him to get up as she continued to run, Staggering up Mark began to run, the wisps turning to smoke as he ran through them. Again the beast laughed and lumbered itself over to the alleyway, then shot more wisps at them. Mark yelled as he ducked, the wall before them dented heavily as they searched for the door but never found a trace of it. Mark snarled and slammed his fists to the heavy wall, his hands making only a light thud.  
"DAMN IT!"  
Behind them, the beast came closer and smiled wickedly as it towered over the two. Robin lit one of her dynamite sticks and threw it as hard as she could, the beast grabbed at it with a wisp and pulled it into its body, staring down at her.  
"I don't suppose we're going to find a ship vendor anywhere, now are we?"  
Robin laughed and gave him a playful look as she shook her head at him, she straightened up and extended her hand to him as Mark took it and got hauled to his feet.  
"What are you doing?!"  
Robin was still smiling as she backed away, the beast looking down at her ravenously, then staggered as the dynamite exploded and expanded the body momentarily before it went back to normal. Robin gulped, then turned to Mark as she gave him a salute. Mark shook his head in confusion and ran toward her, a step away before Robin was pulled into a blur toward the beasts' mouth.  
"ROBIN!"  
The beast smiled and shot down wisps at him as Mark danced around, spinning and rolling away as he tried to avoid these horrible things that screamed at him. Suddenly there was a heavy thud and the beast growled in pain as a pocket in its side exploded open, a dark vapor releasing from it as it tried to cover the gaping rushing hole. Robin smiled and hung onto the lip of the beast as she reached into her pocket and retrieved a match, she struck it on the bottom of her boot and dropped it toward the hole, watching as the flame became massive and burned its way into the beast itself. With a deafening shriek the beast screamed as its insides burned and a fire began it's way up to the mouth. Robin looked down and waved at Mark.  
"Catch me!"  
"WHAT?!"  
"Just trust me!"  
With that, Robin let go and fell through the air. It whispered in her ears as she saw the ground approach and Mark's arms open for her. With a thud she landed on him and they both fell to the ground, Robin lying over him as he laughed. Above, the beast shot fire from the hole and his mouth, screaming as it lifted its arms to the sky in anguish and finally exploded. In a massive fireball it vanished, the fire almost kissing the sky as it went out just as it had started. The two were exhausted, but smiled as they hugged and rolled around on the floor yelling victoriously. Robin got to her feet, then extended her hand toward Mark, who took it and got hauled to his feet as he brushed her off and she returned the favor.  
"I don't suppose we're going to find a ship vendor here, are we?"  
Robin smiled and laughed softly as the two searched the streets and once again found the city center, still nobody remained.  
"Nope, I think they're closed for the day."  
Mark caught the joke at the last second and breathed a laugh as Robin smiled at him. Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared on the ground as if something was coming for them. Ready, the two looked to the skies with their weapons drawn. Mark held his Pirate's Cutlass in one hand and his pistol in the other, Robin held a grenade in her hand ready to throw it. As the black cloud got closer, Robin could see small lines in it like people and upon closer look saw it was a cloud- of people.  
"What?"  
Elbowing Mark's ribs she pointed as they holstered their weapons and watched as all the towns' people slammed to the ground with a sickening thud, as though their bones had cracked but each got up unharmed and went about their day.  
"Excuse me?"  
Mark whipped around, half expecting a fight as he kept his fingers nimble but relaxed when he saw a young man smiling at him. This man had sandy blond hair, fair skin and brown eyes and was dressed oddly. On his head he wore a torn hat, his torso was wrapped in gears and cogs with a crank on his side and his pants were held up by suspenders and laced with wires all the way down to his boots.  
"Uh.. Yes?"  
Mark said hesitantly, Robin taking her place by his side as she too examined the newcomer.  
"I heard you were in the market for a new ship, follow me!"  
With a rush, the young man ran off. Mark looked to Robin and took a breath as he pursed his lips, then the two rushed after him through a sea of people.


End file.
